1. Field of
This invention relates to the art of transfer devices used to combine and switch microwave signals traveling in different paths to and from microwave antennas, transmitters, receivers and other microwave loads and more particularly the invention concerns a small, simple, efficient, lightweight microwave transfer device operated by turning a rotor to different selected positions, to selectively switch microwave signals to pass in selected microwave transmission paths, and to combine microwave signals in transmission paths independent of the switching paths.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, microwave transfer devices used as microwave signal combiners have been rather large, heavy, complicated, expensive assemblies, fixed in parameters so that they could not be switched from one microwave path to another. The prior microwave switches such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,652 is typical, have not been capable of serving as signal combiners. One transfer device for combining and switching microwave signals was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,613. This device had a hollow body with axially reciprocatable shorting pins selectively insertable into passages in the body to close off the passages. By proper selective insertion and retraction of the pins, microwave signals applied at input openings in the body could be combined or switched at output openings. This prior transfer device had limited utility and applications because the presence of the shorting pins caused reflections and energy losses and reduced isolation between separate signal paths in the device.